National Treasure: A Pirate's Tale
by alightinthedark89
Summary: Sequel to El Dorado. The National Treasure team is back only this time they are going against a group of people who are known for breaking the rules. Drama has sprung between Riley and Betsy, again and as the adventure unfolds so does Betsy's unknown past
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello fellow readers…again,**

**Yes, I am back with a sequel to my other National Treasure story El Dorado: City of Gold. Before reading this please read the first one! You won't understand this unless you read the first. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go if I did do a sequel but I think this was a good idea. I don't know you tell me. I'm still making some adjustments but the first chapter is finally done. Enjoy the story and please review!!**

**Disclaimer: All National Treasure references belong to Disney. Characters that are not from National Treasure are licensed to me. Thank you.**

It has been three months since we last heard of our National Treasure team. It has been three long and tough three months for the team to deal with, especially for two of the four, but we'll get back to that later for now let's check in on the two who are doing the best.

Ben and Abigail sat in their living room both thinking about those three months ago. That was the last time they were all together. Everything seemed to be looking up for the team, even for Betsy. How could things change so quickly?

Nothing changed for this couple though. They were still in love and still scheduled to get married in seven months. Before things went wild, Betsy had helped Abigail pick out her wedding gown which was still on reserve at the dress shop. Both Ben and Abigail had picked the perfect location, the White House. Of course no better place for two American History loving citizens to have their wedding. Everything seemed fine until Betsy started behaving in a strange way. She stopped answering her brother's calls; she stopped all contact with the team except for Riley who she lived with. Ben never saw his sister; it was like life went back to the way it was before the Colombia adventure.

Riley began to call Ben more often for advice with his sister but most of the stuff, Ben didn't have answers for. Apparently things got worse because this morning Betsy had packed her things and left. Riley was not there to stop her since he was out. Riley had called Ben panicked that Betsy was gone. After calling his parents, Ben had found out Betsy had gone to California to finish her studies there. Ben knew he didn't know the whole story and neither did Abigail.

The couple sighed.

"What are we going to do, Ben?" Abigail asked quietly, "What could have possibly made Betsy leave?"

"I don't know," Ben answered truthfully absentmindedly stroking Abigail's arm with his knuckles. "It doesn't make any sense. Her whole behavior these past months doesn't make sense."

"That's just it, what could have happened? It just doesn't make sense for her to just get up and leave. Not even Riley could have messed things up that badly," Abigail said. But how little did she know.

* * *

Riley sat eating a television dinner in front of his, what a surprise, television. Well he was mostly staring down at his dinner while the television remained on. He couldn't eat just the thought of it was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Why couldn't he just keep his big mouth shut? Just because she turned 20 does not mean that she was ready to move forward.

When Riley and Betsy moved in together it wasn't that they shared a bed or anything or even a room. They just shared the house. Yes they continued to see each other but that was it. Betsy had begun to act suspicious the moment they had come back from Colombia. Betsy would spend hours on the computer and hours on the phone. The only time she ever came out of her office was to eat, sleep and go to school. She even stopped going to school. When Riley tried to talk to her she would dodge the question. Riley didn't want to think badly of it but he was beginning to think she was cheating on him.

He began to see less and less of her. She would never pick up her phone and never come home until late at night and would leave early in the morning. Riley didn't know what to do so he called Ben and Abigail but none had answers. Finally the night before she left, he stayed up until she got home, which now he wished he hadn't. She walked through the door and saw Riley sitting on the couch. She smiled tiredly but stayed by the door.

"Hey what are you still doing up?" She asked holding back a yawn.

"Waiting for you, we need to talk," Riley said and instantly Betsy's face looked panicked.

"About what," she asked.

"About where you're going everyday," he said deciding to get right to the point.

"It's nothing you have to worry about Riley," Betsy said quietly looking down almost ashamed.

"No apparently it is. This is really hurting us Betsy, I mean, I rarely see you, I never talk to you, how are we supposed to keep this together?" Riley said angrily.

"It's nothing Riley, just leave it alone," Betsy was beginning to get annoyed.

"How am I supposed to trust you?" Riley asked and Betsy was no longer annoyed but infuriated.

"Trust me? What exactly do you think I'm doing Riley?"

"Well I don't know Betsy like I said I never see you and I don't know why you're getting mad when I'm the one that's being left in the dark here," Riley pointed out.

"There are just some things that I need to do before I can go any further with this relationship," Betsy said looking down again.

"Like what," Riley asked trying to figure out what was happening.

"I don't want to talk anymore," she said flatly.

"Like what Betsy," Riley said taking a step closer.

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

They went back and forth like this for a good couple of minutes before Riley said something he wishes desperately he could take back.

"Well if you don't want to talk about it with me than maybe that means you no longer want to see me so fine," he said climbing up the stairs.

"No, no Riley please," Betsy began to beg but Riley never turned around.

"You don't see me as it is so how is this going to make a difference."

That statement was the last thing he ever said to Betsy. The next morning he went out to buy a coffee and by the time he got back, all of her things were gone and so was she.

She was so far away now, but somehow she seemed just as far when she was still living with him. Whatever Betsy was doing he hopes it makes her happy.

* * *

"C'mon Riley it would be good for you," Ben said over the phone to Riley.

Patrick and Emily had gone on a cruise for vacation and were coming back. Riley was hesitant on going since he didn't exactly know what Emily or Patrick thought of him now. He knew it would be awkward but in the end he still agreed to go since Ben always got his way.

The trio was on their way in silence. Abigail wasn't sure what to talk about. Everything she wanted to say could bring back memories of Betsy and Abigail did not want to do that. Riley on the other hand was getting more and more anxious with every nervous look Abby threw at him. He _could _see her from the corner of his eye even though she didn't know that. Ben could almost slice the tension with a knife. He was in the same position as Abby only he also got emotional with talk of his sister. He didn't know what made her leave. Abigail sighed once again for the tenth time and Riley had had enough.

"Just say what you need to say Abby," Riley breathed frustrated. Abigail looked back at him with an innocent face. Riley rolled his eyes before saying, "I could see you through the passenger side mirror." Abigail smiled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry Riley. I just don't want to talk about anything that might…you know," Abby said cautiously.

"Its fine Abby, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about anything," Riley sighed looking back out the window.

"So you're okay?" Abby asked looking at him hard to see if there was any hint of emotion. Riley sighed and stroked something that was in his front jacket pocket.

"Yeah, just fine," he said not taking his eyes away from the window.

Abigail was about to press on when Ben slammed on the breaks and the car skidded to a stop in front of a burning home. The group was rooted to their seats none of them knowing what to do. Firemen and the ambulance were already there, Emily and Patrick standing by. Ben raced out of the car followed by Abigail and Riley.

"Mom, Dad you okay," Ben asked as he came to a stop in front of his distraught mother and blank father.

"We're fine Ben," Patrick Gates said looking on as his house burned.

"How did this happen," Abigail asked.

"We don't know. When we got home the firemen were already here. We don't even know how long the house has been burning," Patrick answered his wife holding on to him tighter.

"Do the neighbors know how it started," Abigail asked Riley standing silently behind her.

"No the fireman said that they won't know until the fire has been put out," Patrick answered again this time almost angrily.

The group looked on sadly as years of family memories burned to the ground.

* * *

Emily and Patrick slept in Ben and Abigail's guest room. They were to stay there until the house was restored. According to the firemen, the house had been set on fire. There were traces of gasoline and fire starting liquid inside the house. The family was stumped. Who would do that? They didn't have any enemies from what they knew. If they did, they were either in prison or dead.

Ben and Patrick went to the post office to pick up Patrick and Emily's mail from the week they were gone. The mail was mostly junk mail and bills but there was one letter that stuck out to them. It was a big envelope addressed to 'The Gates Family: Elizabeth Ross Gates' with no return address. On the way home, Patrick realized that the folder was not sealed only clasped shut. He waited until they got back to Ben's to open the folder.

"Dad do you think it's okay if we open Betsy's mail like this," Ben asked as he watched his father pause for a second.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her and it's addressed to all of us. It only concerns her," Patrick said resuming his prying. Once getting the folder unclasped he turned it over and out fell an old, wrinkled piece of paper folded four times, then three newer sheets of paper; two with typing on them, the other with handwriting. Patrick skimmed through the first piece of paper as Riley, Abigail and Emily joined them.

"What is that Patrick," Emily asked watching her husband's eyebrows arch in a surprised fashion.

"It's a letter concerning Betsy," Ben answered watching his father intently. This statement caught everyone's attention.

"It's a letter from the adopting agency. It says here that Betsy had requested information from them…about her biological family," Patrick revealed as he held onto the letter. The other three occupants in the room were silent as Patrick picked up the other letter. "It's a copy."

"A copy? A copy of what," Ben asked looking over his father's shoulder. It only took Ben a few minutes to realize what it was. "A will?"

"Her biological father's will to be exact," Patrick said. Emily moved forward to look at the paper as well. Emily took the paper out of Patrick's hands as Ben stepped around his father to see what the paper was with handwriting on it. Ben was silent for a few minutes as he read over the letter. The other occupants didn't realize anything as Ben looked at the paper in shock. Stepping around the group once more, Ben retrieved the old folded paper from the table. He carefully unfolded the slip of paper and he saw exactly what he was expecting. It didn't take long for Ben to put two and two together.

"I know who burned down the house," Ben said not bothering to look away from the slips of paper in his hands. Patrick however looked up at his son questionably.

"What?" he asked.

"What did you say Ben," Emily asked.

"I know who burned down the house," Ben repeated this time looking up at the stunned group.

"Well," Abigail said impatiently waiting for Ben to continue but what came out of Ben's mouth was nothing the group was expecting.

"Pirates," he answered simply holding up the final letter Betsy's father wrote dated three days prior.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Please leave some reviews. If I don't get any feedback for this story I don't think I'll continue it. So please give me something. Lol. Here's part 2.**

"So when you say pirates…you mean—" Abigail began but didn't continue.

"I mean exactly what I said," Ben said knowing Abigail had no idea where she was going with the question.

"So you mean, swash buckling, peg legged, eye patched, parrot on shoulder, hook for hand, 'argh' saying pirates," Riley listed thinking about all the movies he's seen having to do with pirates.

"Well they haven't stayed that way. They've evolved over the years, along with everything else," Ben said looking around the clothes store they were at for another pair of shorts to take to California.

The plane was leaving tomorrow for California. Riley needed some convincing but in the end, he had not missed an adventure yet and he was most definitely not going to this time. Riley was also looking for some clothes to take along. Abigail had already gone shopping and had just tagged along for the sake of going.

"Okay and what does this have to do with Betsy," Abigail asked.

"That was my next question," Riley commented looking at Ben.

"That is something we're all going to wait for until Betsy is ready to tell us," Ben said continuing his search for some shorts.

"But Ben don't you know," Abigail said thinking back to the letter he had read.

"I do but this is something I want to wait for," he answered returning to a rack of shorts and deciding to take the blue ones. Riley and Abigail exchanged knowing looks and returned to what they were doing before.

* * *

"Okay mom, I've got to go the plane is leaving," Ben said for the third time over the phone to his mother.

"Call me when you land," Emily said over the other end. Ben smiled.

"Yes, I promise. Goodbye mom," Ben hurriedly said before hanging up the phone and handing over his plane ticket to the flight attendant. Riley sat behind them while Ben and Abigail sat together. The three hadn't been on a plane since their return from Colombia, but at that time Riley had a sitting buddy. He could almost feel her hand in his as he remembered that time. The time before everything went down the toilet. Snapping out of his thoughts, Riley reached over to his bag and settled into his seat and into his ipod.

The plane left at 9 in the morning so they would be arriving in Los Angeles by 2 in the afternoon. Riley fell asleep immediately.

"You did tell Betsy that Riley was coming, right?" Abigail asked Ben who was taking a sip from his water.

"Of course I did," he answered.

"Good because I don't know if it was such a good idea to bring him," Abigail told an agreeing Ben.

"I think this would be good for them though. They need to clear this whole thing up," Ben said taking another sip from his water.

"I hope you're right," Abigail said sinking comfortably into her chair for the next five hours.

The trio landed in California but by the time they got a cab, they didn't get to their Holiday Inn Express Hotel Anaheim Main Gate until close to 4. They checked in and were shown to their three bedroom suite.

"Hey mom we're at the hotel," Ben greeted over the phone as he got accustomed to his room for the next few days.

"Oh good honey, wait isn't it four o'clock over there?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, why," Ben asked bringing his suitcase in and setting it onto the bed.

"Well, if I heard correctly, you were supposed to pick up your sister 30 minutes ago," Emily sighed. Poor Betsy she knew her brother was always late but this is ridiculous. Ben froze and knew he was in for it when he saw his sister. He offered to pick her up and now he was late.

"Perfect," he muttered, "Mom I got to go."

"Yes, I know you do, bye hun," Emily said before hanging up. Ben closed his phone and sighed before bolting out the door.

"Riley we got to go and I mean now," Ben said already anticipating his sister's knowing voice.

Riley didn't say anything but followed him out the door but not before shouting, "We'll be back…with Betsy," he said, the last two words a bit muttered. When the two of them got into the elevator Ben took out his phone and dialed his sister's number. It rang two times before she answered.

"Fashionably late, eh Ben? Hmmm…sounds like you," she greeted amused, since she already knew this was going to happen.

"I know, it's just—" Ben began but was interrupted by his sister.

"Let me guess, you just got into your hotel and mom just reminded you that you _offered_ to come pick me up and now you're racing down the stairs to come get me," she guessed frighteningly accurate.

"Close…we're in the elevator," Ben said.

"Hmmm, you seem more like a stairs kind of guy," Betsy said wondering around her new college.

"Look we'll be there in 15 minutes," Ben promised.

"Doubtful," the female on the other end of the line simply said before hanging up. Ben always rented a van they just seem a lot more convenient then small cars, but since he was in a hurry, a small car sounded a lot more convenient. She was right it didn't seem like they were going to get there in 15 minutes.

"I hate it when she's right," Ben said more to himself but Riley still heard. Riley laughed but it didn't seem to ease the knot that was quickly forming in his stomach.

It was a relief to Ben when they finally were out of the parking lot but when he looked at the time he saw that almost half of the fifteen minutes were already wasted. He speeded down the road and onto the freeway only to stop abruptly when there was traffic.

"It's Southern California, what else did you expect?" Riley asked Ben who had let out a frustrated sigh.

There was no use in denying it; there was no way Ben and Riley were going to get to the school on time. They had barely moved anything when the fifteen minutes had turned into 25. Ben quickly picked up his phone to call his sister for an update.

**Meanwhile…**

Betsy walked around her school aimlessly. She already knew the traffic patterns around here and knew that 4 to 6 was always a tight hour, so she knew her brother was not going to get here in 15 minutes more like 45. She laughed to herself silently and continued her journey around the school.

Betsy was continuing on when she noticed a pretty muscular guy was coming towards her with a blank face, she paused in her stride to turn around when she noticed another guy coming down the other end. Suspicion immediately sprung and she walked into the building which was the only exit and entrance around. She looked behind her and saw both men entering; she looked ahead and saw another man also bulky in stature coming towards her. There was a door to her right that led to escaladers that led to upper floors of the building. She stayed calm and headed for the door and headed up the escaladers. She paused at the first landing and looked down all three of the men came into view all staring at her. Betsy took this as her cue to run. She ran up the escaladers until the fourth floor where they ended. To her left, were the escaladers leading back down to the other floors and next to that, there was a flight of stairs leading up to the other floors and back down, but the men would automatically take those stairs since they're the closest. Quickly thinking, Betsy ran to the end of the hall to her right and turned left to a different flight of stairs neatly disguised at the end of the hall.

She began to descend the stairs at a rapid pace. She had barely arrived to the third floor when she heard the fourth floor door open followed by the sound of feet running down the steps. Betsy moved to the railing of the stairs and looked up to see one of the three men. She sighed and continued her way down until she landed on the second floor where she silently and cautiously opened the door and softly closed it behind her. She stopped to take a breather when her phone rang. She cursed silently and quickly reached for her phone, her brother's name on the screen.

"Hello," she whispered, looking around the hall to make sure no one was there.

"Hey where are you," Ben asked from the other end.

"I'm in one of the buildings," she said quietly.

"Oh okay well…why are you whispering," Ben asked amused at his sister's behavior. Betsy sighed as she ran to the escaladers and ran down them to the first floor.

"Nothing," she said gathering herself together and adjusting her backpack strap to be more secure on her shoulder.

"Well anyway—" Ben was about to continue when he heard his sister groan in misery, "—what? What's wrong?" he asked worried.

Betsy had just made it out of the building safely and was at the front of the school when she saw a black van pull up and the side door slide open to reveal more men. She turned around to go back, when she saw all three of the men from before turn the corner and the three had already spotted her. She turned back around toward the van.

"Ben, please tell me you're already here and you decided to go bald and gain a few pounds and muscle, while Riley decided to grow his hair out and pull it back into a pony tail and he grew about…oh three feet since I've been gone," Betsy said describing the two men who had come out of the van.

"What? No, why?" Ben said having no idea what on earth his sister was going on about.

"I didn't think so. Hey Ben," she said taking a deep breath as she heard the three men behind her get closer and closer, "Hurry." She dropped her things and jumped up to reach a bar that was holding a flag. As she had jumped, she turned back to the three men and kicked both her feet up and hit both men on the side. As the side men had fallen, the middle man had made to grab her legs but he was not paying attention and tripped over one of the other men. Betsy let go of the bar and grabbed all her things before they were able to get up from the floor.

Ben had been yelling into the phone for his sister as he heard more groans but these were groans of pain. In a fit of panic, Ben merged into the final right lane and into an empty lane that was meant to be used for when a person was having car trouble. Residue and trash was blown into the wind as Ben sped down the lane, Riley in the passenger seat holding on for dear life.

"I'm pretty sure this is illegal Ben," Riley said.

"Riley what haven't we done that's been considered illegal," Ben asked as he continued on un-phased.

"Ben!" a voice shouted from Ben's phone. Riley jumped in surprise and put the phone on speaker.

"Sorry Ben is busy driving like a lunatic right now," Riley yelled into the phone.

"Driving—Riley—Ben what the hell is going on? I've been shouting your name over and over again," Betsy shouted out of breath.

"I could be asking you the same thing, Betsy," Ben said over the horns beeping. "You sound like you're running a marathon." He commented.

"These guys are chasing me around the school, I'm going to try and lose them in the Performing Arts building and then I'm going to make a dash for the dorms to grab my stuff. Meet me there, okay?" she asked but said it in more of a finality tone and hung up running into the PA building.

Ben and Riley exchanged panicked looks and continued on more determined then before. Apparently the people who had gotten to Emily and Patrick were already after Betsy. She was after all who they were looking for. Finally they arrived to the exit. Meanwhile, Betsy was still running around the PA building. She took the exit that was nearest to the dorms and ran even faster than before hoping against hope that they would not see her. It was a Friday so there weren't many people in the school. As she ran to the dorms she kept an eye out for security guards but she had no such luck. She arrived at the dorms and climbed up to the fourth floor. When she got to her door, she slid her I.D. card and punched in her password. Right at that moment she heard a car screeching into the parking lot, but it wasn't who she was hoping for. The black van pulled up and stopped abruptly. Not waiting another second, Betsy dove into her dorm before they could see her. It was a good thing her mates weren't in the dorm. They were either at the library or at home.

Betsy ran to her room and picked a few things, like clothes, her books, and other necessities she thought she would need while she was with her brother. School was almost over anyway. Betsy wasn't too worried about her grades. Loud footsteps coming up the stairs snapped her out of her thoughts as she made to grab her packed suitcase, with her laptop secured inside, her phone began to ring. It was Ben.

"Where are you," she immediately asked locking her door behind her. It was a reflex.

"Were in the alleyway next to the dorm buildings," Ben answered.

"What alleyway," she asked closing her dorm door behind her. She could hear the men below her knocking on the doors.

"Where the dumpsters are," Ben said disgusted when he spotted the dirty dumpsters.

Betsy looked over to her far left where there were stairs that led down to an alleyway that was usually accessed by the trash truck when it came to collect from the dumpsters.

"Where do you want us to go," Ben asked when he didn't hear a response from his sister.

"Stay there," she said making up her mind to take the stairs, but she stopped when she was spotted by the men and they were climbing up the same stairs she was about to descend. She looked over to the other stairs but knew they had other men climbing up those. Betsy looked down and saw the dark green van below. "Déjà vu," she said to herself remembering her roof climbing escapade in Colombia. This van, strangely enough, had a sun roof and before Betsy could think about it she dumped her things over the stairs railing. Ben saw the things falling and told Riley to grab them. Riley climbed out of the car and put all of Betsy's things inside the van. The back of the van was empty it only had two seats and those were the driver and passenger seats.

"Betsy what are doing," Ben asked into the phone.

"I'm dropping in," she said before silently praying to herself, "If there is anyone listening, please help me since you couldn't get these guys off my back please let me make that sun roof."

As one of the men lunged for her, and before giving it a second thought, Betsy jumped the railing as Ben's voice rang from the phone asking, "What?" Betsy landed with a soft thud in the back of the van on top of her pillow, blanket and clothing bags.

"I made it," Betsy said when she realized she wasn't in pain, but in the van safely and she began to laugh when she realized what she had landed on. "Thank you."

"Betsy what the…" Ben said but his voice faded when he realized the men were climbing down the stairs.

"No time Ben, drive," Betsy said but got nervous when Ben didn't seem to be moving at a fast enough pace, "GO!!" she yelled and the van skidded out of the alleyway and onto the street. When it looked like they weren't being followed Betsy fell back into her pillow.

"Nice of you to drop in Betsy," Riley said emphasizing the dropping in part. Betsy laughed.

"Nice to see you too, Riley," Betsy sighed as she looked up at the clear sky from the sun roof smiling.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow I didn't think it would take me this long to put up this chapter. So sorry that it did. Thanks for the reviews, keep'em coming. PLEASE!!**

"I never want you to do _anything_ like that again," Ben scolded his sister again for the fifteenth time when they finally arrived at the hotel alive and no one following them.

"Yes, Ben we've established that I could have died, I got it," Betsy said going through the hotel's doors with her pillow and luggage in her hands while Riley carried the rest of it. Ben went to the front desk to talk about the new addition to their party. Riley and Betsy continued their way up to the room. They stood in the elevator in silence. They both had no idea what to say to each other. Riley sighed as he stared at the numbers above the elevator doors light up one by one signifying which floor they were currently on. For some reason they were not going fast enough. He looked over to his companion who was looking down at her arm in dismay. She softly ran her hand over a spot he couldn't see and grimaced in pain.

"What's the matter?" he asked trying to see what had caused her pain.

"Nothing just a scrap I got from jumping into the car…" Betsy said observing her scrape that was now bleeding.

"You mean falling," Riley corrected lightly. Betsy looked up and smiled at his joke.

"Yes, falling. I just realized I had it right now. It didn't even hurt until we got into the elevator," she said confused.

"The adrenaline rush," Riley said nodding his head. Betsy looked up at him confused, so Riley continued to say, "It'll do that to you. Not make you feel anything until your calm again." Betsy nodded and the elevator doors opened. "So how's school going for you?"

"Good I guess, although, it does feel kind of weird not having my mom around," Betsy said with a smile. Riley just nodded as the elevator doors opened on the appropriate floor.

Riley took out the key card from his pocket and opened the door. Betsy walked in and set her things down by the couch in the living room.

"Nice," she commented looking around the spacious cream colored room.

"It does beat a college dorm, huh?" Riley said not really thinking about his statement before saying it.

"My dorm is fine thanks," Betsy snapped slightly.

"I was just saying…" Riley said but didn't continue. The tension was there again, it had gone down since the elevator but Riley accidentally ruined it.

The good thing was Abigail came out a few minutes later relaxed and fresh from her shower. Once she spotted Betsy she pulled her into a tight embrace, while saying how much she missed her. Betsy returned the gesture happily. After talking about school and Betsy's new life in California, Ben came in and joined the conversation. It was around nine that Riley retired to his bed and then around eleven Abigail went to bed but not before telling Ben to talk to Betsy about her leaving home.

The siblings sat there talking and laughing about life when finally Ben found the courage to talk to his sister about her problems back at home.

"Betsy, can I ask you something?" Ben asked looking down at his mug of coffee. Betsy paused at her sip when she saw her brother's change of behavior.

"Sure," she answered putting down her own cup of coffee. Ben paused, thinking of the best way to phrase his question but didn't seem to come up with anything other than being straightforward.

"What made you leave D.C.?" Ben finally asked. Betsy looked down and sighed knowing this question was coming sooner or later.

"Ben I really don't want to talk about this," Betsy said taking up her coffee again to take a long gulp, feeling it burn her throat as it went down.

"Then when Lizzie," he asked using the name he knew she hated.

"Ben don't call me that—"

"Eh, Liz," Ben said trying to annoy the answer out of her.

"Don't," Betsy whined with a hint of a smile.

"C'mon Betsy why did you leave," Ben asked becoming serious once more.

"It's just…" Betsy tried to begin but failed. She sighed, feeling embarrassed and ashamed for the reason she began to shun all of her loved ones.

"What, Betsy?"

"I became something that I never wanted to become," Betsy said finding it hard to continue, "I mean obviously they didn't want me if they put me up for adoption. Obviously they didn't love me so why would I go after people who don't want me? I used to think it was so stupid that adopted children wanted to go out and find their parents. I mean there's a reason why they abandoned you–" Betsy was cut short by a sob that was threatening to come out and knew that if she kept talking it would. Then, she felt a tear slide down her cheek which only made her more embarrassed.

"Oh, Betsy," Ben said feeling terrible for his sister who was obviously struggling with their talk.

"I became so ashamed with myself. I mean, I had a great life. I had two wonderful gracious people who took me in when my real parents didn't want me. I had you, who really isn't my real brother but you still treated me like any real brother would. You all treated me so well. Then, I gained a friend and a great boyfriend," the sob escaped this time before Betsy could stop it and Ben embraced his distraught sister. Ben silently held her until she seemed to calm and then he spoke.

"Betsy, it's okay to become curious of who you are and where you came from," Ben said softly, "its okay to want to know. It doesn't mean you're not appreciative of the life you have."

"It doesn't," Betsy asked looking up at him.

"No," Ben answered looking down at her, "but Betsy you should have talked to someone."

"I know but I requested information from the agency and they never came up with anything. I did so much research and always came up empty handed. I started to get so frustrated that I took it out on everyone else. I stopped talking to you, Abby, Riley, even Mom and Dad. Then, Riley made it clear he didn't want anything to do with me, so I left," Betsy said as another tear came down at the thought of Riley and her final confrontation in D.C.

Ben sat there thinking of his next move. He wondered if he should give his sister the letter now or wait until tomorrow morning. Looking at the circles under her eyes he knew he should wait until the following morning. Taking a closer look at his sister he didn't recognize her. She seemed so lost and didn't look like the strong minded girl she always was. He had never witnessed this side of her and it made him a bit nervous. She usually was so calm and collected that it made her seem much older than her actual age. She had always been mature for her age but not at the current moment.

Betsy had felt awful throughout her stay in California. She tried so hard to hide the feeling but it kept returning every time she had a time to herself or when she was in bed she wouldn't be able to sleep from all the guilt gnawing at her heart. She had the greatest life a person could ask for, but the fact that she went looking for information about people who had abandoned her made her feel like she was abandoning the people who had taken her in and shown her love. Her, a complete stranger and had even given Betsy their own name. She loved her name. Elizabeth Ross Gates. She couldn't help but feel absolutely terrible. She always thought it was ridiculous to go out looking for people who obviously didn't want you to begin with otherwise they wouldn't have left you at an adoption agency. They would have raised you and given you their name, the name you were given a right to. Betsy became the very thing she least wanted and the guilt feeling only became worse when she thought about losing the family she had now. She had lost Riley she didn't want to lose Ben too.

"I think it's time we got to bed," Ben whispered, "There's an extra bed in Abigail's room." Betsy nodded and quietly rubbed her tears away. They both grabbed their cups and put them in the sink to wash the next day or later that day. It was already one in the morning.

"Ben," she called as he left the kitchen for his own room he shared with Riley. He turned back at the call of his name. "You're not mad at me are you? Mom and Dad aren't?" Ben smiled.

"No, Betsy we're not. We we're just worried we had done something wrong," Ben then turned around and walked into his room. As Betsy climbed into bed in her pajamas she was expecting to feel that awful feeling again but to her surprise she didn't.

The next morning Betsy was awaken by shouts ringing in from the kitchen. It sounded like Ben and Abigail with Riley pitching in with a few comments here and there. Betsy climbed out of bed and put on a pair of shorts before quietly opening the door and creeping toward the kitchen but keeping out of sight to listen in.

"…soon, what are you thinking?" Abigail said with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, Ben what are you thinking," Riley asked copying Abigail's movements.

"She needs to know. She admitted last night that she requested the information about her family," Ben argued. "You didn't read the letter."

"Yeah Abigail," Riley said turning to Abigail.

"No I didn't but I don't think it's a good idea to show her. I think we should just fly her back home and live our lives. Forget this ever happened. That's what she needs Ben. She needs to know that we'll accept her back," Abigail explained trying to get through to her fiancé.

"Yeah, Ben," Riley commented.

"No she needs to know," Ben said making Abigail sigh.

"Yeah, Abigail," Riley said.

"Oh shut up, Riley," Ben and Abigail said in unison.

"Needs to know what," Betsy asked finally stepping into the kitchen making all of its occupants turn to her.

"Good morning, Betsy," Abigail greeted from beside the sink.

"Morning," Betsy answered looking at her brother expectantly.

"Betsy the adopting agency acquired some information about your parents," Ben said holding up the letters. Betsy seemed to go stiff.

"They did," she said disbelievingly. Ben nodded putting the letter down on the table. Betsy slowly walked to the table taking a seat. Ben gestured for Riley and Abigail to follow him out of the kitchen to give Betsy some privacy as she shuffled through the pages the agency left her. Betsy read over the agency letter and her father's will, and then came her father's letter that he wrote to her.

_Dear daughter,_

_I hope the people you have stayed with have treated you well. Although, I have waited for so long to finally meet you I'm afraid I won't be able to deliver this in person as I would have hoped some day I would. Your mother and I aren't exactly the type of people to take in a child specifically a baby girl. It wasn't that we didn't love you, our lifestyle is too dangerous. I am a pirate; a pirate from a long line of pirates. My father was a pirate, my grandfather was a pirate, and all the males in the family have been pirates, starting with Jose Gaspar. You might have heard of him. My name is Jose Gaspar IX. Your mother passed away when she gave birth to you. She had unfortunately acquired a sickness that would destroy either you or her. She chose herself. I didn't want to throw you into a life of robbing and a life on the sea, but to give you a chance to have the life many generations of our family was deprived of. I would have loved to have met you and have waited with much anticipation but unfortunately I can only give you this; this letter explaining insufficiently why I couldn't keep you. I'm sorry if I'm not the man you wished I was, but I am what I am, a pirate. This map enclosed is a guide to the greatest treasure of all. Goodbye my daughter and be safe._

_Love,_

_Your father,_

_Jose Gaspar IX_

Betsy read the letter over and over again wondering if the she had read it correctly. Her father was a pirate? She carefully set the letter down on the table and looked into the envelope for the map. There was an old piece of paper folded in four. Unfolding it, revealed a map of what looked like Florida. It was dated 1776. That meant that Florida was still under the rule of Spain. Betsy refolded the paper and walked into the living room where Ben, Riley and Abigail were waiting. Ben stood up from the couch waiting for some sort of response from his sister. Betsy looked up with a teary smile.

"My dad was a pirate?" she said with a short laugh before continuing, "Holy cow my dad was a pirate."

Ben smiled while Riley and Abigail looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" Abigail asked.

"My father was a pirate. Apparently I come from a whole line of pirates starting with Jose Gaspar," Betsy said taking a seat next to her brother.

"Who's Jose Gaspar?" Riley asked puzzled.

"My great to the ninth power grandfather," Betsy told him with a sigh.

"Right," Riley said nodding but then began to shake his head, "whose Jose Gaspar?" He repeated. The others looked over at Betsy as well.

"Am I going to have to go into story mode again?" Betsy asked recalling her explanation of the El Dorado story.

"I think so," Ben said. Betsy let out a sigh and began her story of the legend of Jose Gaspar.

**A/N: The story will be in the next chapter. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I know it's been awhile since I've updated but school has kept me very, very busy as I'm sure it has with everyone else. Please forgive me but I am trying my best to get these chapters written in anyway I can. Thanks and I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

"The legend of 'Gasparilla'—" Betsy started.

"Wait I thought you were telling us about Jose Gaspar," Riley interrupted as a look of confusion pinched his face.

"I am Riley 'Gasparilla' was just a nickname he gave himself," Betsy explained as Riley nodded his head. Betsy took this a sign to continue with her story, "So as I was saying, the legend of Jose Gaspar was said to be just that a legend."

"Yes and so was El Dorado and the Templar treasure," Ben said defensively taking his sister statement as an argument.

"I know that Ben but this is literally a legend. History doesn't have any evidentiary proof that Jose Gaspar ever existed," Betsy clarified in a way so Ben wouldn't think she was trying to start a fight only giving the facts.

"Then why make up the legend?" Abigail asked which had been the next question Ben and Riley were going to ask at that moment as well. Betsy looked as if she was ready to strangle all of the occupants in the room including her self.

"Am I ever going to start this story?" Betsy inquired to the other three who fell silent at her question, "Thank you, anyway, Jose Gaspar's background isn't really clear there are many different versions of his story, but most versions are fairly consistent. All of the stories start out with him being born in Spain and being a part of the Spanish Navy aboard the _Floridablanca_. What turned him into a pirate is where some of the stories change. Some say he kidnapped a young girl for ransom, some say that this was a mission he was given when he joined the Spanish Navy. Others say he started a mutiny and he became a pirate shortly after, while a more romantic version says he reached a high rank and became a councilor to King Charles III. He was popular in the court, but when he traded one lover for another, the rebuffed lover levied false charges against him. Most say that the crime he was accused of involved the theft of the crown jewels.

To escape arrest he commandeered his ship and vowed to seek revenge on his country through piracy. Renaming himself "Gasparilla", he patrolled the coast of Spanish Florida between the years of 1783 to 1821, approximately the dates of the second Spanish rule of Florida. He and his crew would sack every passing ship and amassing a huge treasure, which was stored in his fabulous den on Gasparilla Island, but, how predictable is this—"

"It has never been found," Ben and Betsy finished exchanging knowing looks.

"Most male prisoners would be put to death or recruited as pirates, while women would be taken to a nearby isle, called Captiva Island where they would serve as concubines or await ransom payment from their families.

Some say that the fierce pirate actually fell in love with a Spanish or Mexican princess who he had captured. Allegedly named Useppa, she consistently rejected the pirate's advances until he threatened to behead her if she would not submit to his lust. Still she refused, and he killed her in a rage or alternately because his crew demanded her death. The captain instantly regretted the deed and took her body to a nearby island, which he named Useppa in her honor, and buried her himself.

Then in 1821, the year Spain sold the Florida Territory to the United States, Gasparilla decided to retire. But while the men were going about dividing up the treasure, they spotted a fat British merchant ship, an opportunity too good to pass up. But when they approached, the intended victims lowered the Union Jack and raised an American flag, revealing that it was no merchant vessel, but the pirate hunting schooner USS _Enterprise_. In the battle that followed, Gasparilla's ship was riddled by cannon balls. Rather than surrender, Gaspar chained the anchor around his waist and leapt from the bow, shouting 'Gasparilla dies by his own hand…not the enemy's!' Most of the remaining pirates were killed or captured and subsequently hanged, but a few escaped, one of them being Juan Gómez, who would tell the tale to subsequent generations," Betsy finished her story with a small nod of her head and leaning back into her chair to await the other's reactions to her story.

"That's so sad," Abigail commented quietly while the others nodded in agreement.

"So that's it he just killed himself," Riley asked hardly believing the unsatisfying ending. When Betsy nodded yes to his question something hit Riley, "Wait a minute it doesn't say anything about him having children."

"No you're right it doesn't but like I said this is just theory. There isn't any evidence to support that any of what I just said really happened. It's a good story though," Betsy said ending with a smile.

"Yeah it is but we still don't know anything new. We still have no idea if this Jose Gaspar guy really is related to Betsy and we still don't know if this treasure map is real," Abigail said frustrated that the group didn't seem to be getting anywhere.

"Well, let's look at the facts: my mom and dad's house burning down," Ben pointed out rising from his seat to begin pacing the room.

"We don't know if pirates were actually behind that Ben," Abigail said.

"Whoa, what?" Betsy asked bewildered. The conversation was abruptly interrupted by a knock sounding from the door. Riley excused himself to go get it while Ben, Abigail and Betsy continued. The group was silent as Riley opened the door but continued when they heard the door close.

"Ben thinks pirates were behind the burning down of your parent's house," Abigail continued.

"It would make sense wouldn't it? Somehow the pirates knew that Betsy's dad died and knew that whatever was given to Betsy would be mailed to her. Following the address they find an empty house but no mail and so they burned the house as a sign," Ben ended his theory looking at the two girls in front of him. Abigail sighed and looked down at her feet.

"I'm going to have to side with Abby on this one Ben, I mean, how can we be sure that pirates are after what my dad left me," Betsy told her brother who looked like he was going to reply but as Riley entered the room he beat him to it.

"Guys," Riley called looking over his shoulder.

"Not now Riley," Ben said ready to continue with his sister but Riley had other plans.

"No guys really there's –"

"Not _now_ Riley," Ben said a little louder this time, "Think about it Betsy, what your father left you might lead somewhere that—"

"How do you know what my father left me?" Betsy asked suspiciously to her brother. Ben was silent for a short while but knew there was no escaping this confrontation anymore. Understanding seemed to dawn on Betsy's face, "You went through my mail?"

"You have to understand, we were all worried about you, Betsy. I saw that it was from the adoption agency and I thought 'hey—"

"'Hey', maybe I should go through my sister's mail," Betsy finished incredulously.

"No but I had been right. The letter did explain why you left and possibly why mom and dad's house was burned to the ground."

"Oh geez Ben," Abigail groaned.

"Please, Ben," Betsy pleaded.

"How do we know that my theory isn't right?" Ben asked.

"Hello," Riley yelled from the entrance way.

"What Riley, what is it?" Ben questioned rubbing the bridge of his nose. Riley moved to the side revealing a tall slim woman. The white strands of hair stood out from the dark hair that had originally been there showing her age. She had dark brown eyes and a tan complexion. The woman looked around the room and seemed to find what she was looking for; she stood staring at Betsy.

"Can I help you?" Betsy asked sensing the woman staring.

"My God," the woman whispered observing Betsy.

"Can I help you?" Betsy repeated this time more forcefully.

"It's just…you look just like your father," the woman said and the room fell into stunned silence. Betsy stepped toward the woman unable to find her voice.

"You…you knew my father," Betsy asked when she found her voice.

"Oh yes, you could say we were very close friends," she said, "my name is Tatiana Gomez and I came to warn you."

"Warn me?" Betsy asked astonished.

"Of what?" Ben interfered with his own question.

"That you are in danger," she answered, "That fire was no accident."

"Ha," Ben said to Abigail and Betsy but didn't say anything else.

"The people who are after you will not stop there, they will not stop until they have what your father left you."

"What did your father leave you?" Abigail asked Betsy.

"A map," Betsy sighed.

"A map, a map to what?"

"According to him the greatest treasure of all time," Betsy said in amazement as she recalled the letter. There was silence in the room as her words were absorbed. Then there was a sigh that was let out by Riley. The other three looked over at him eyebrows together in question.

"Here we go again," he said simply as the others slowly nodded in agreement.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello dear readers,**

**So sorry I have been gone for so long but I am back. I was really trying to focus on school. Anyway I am on the summer holidays and now that school seems to be going easy for me now. I'm really going to focus on finishing everything that I started. Hope you enjoy chapter 5.** **Oh and please don't forget to read and review. Thanks a ton in advance. **

"Okay so how did you know my father?" Betsy asked Tatiana.

"I sailed under his command for many years," Tatiana answered taking a sip of the water Ben had brought.

Tatiana sat on the couch Betsy sitting next to her while the others sat on the other couch across from them.

"Wait as in you were a pirate with him," Betsy asked her eyebrows creasing together.

"Yes, your mother and I both."

"So you knew both my parents?"

"I knew your mother longer than I knew your father but yes. They were very good people and loved each other very much. Your mother couldn't wait to have you, but then…something happened. When your mother passed away your father went through a great depression. I would be acting as messenger telling the crew what to do saying they were commands from Jose, when in reality they were my commands. I took care of you for the short time you were on the ship. Then your father snuck away one night with you bundled up in his arms and left you at the agency. He prayed night after night for you. That you would have a long fulfilling life, the kind of life, he thinks, your mother was deprived of because of him. He requested pictures of you and updates from the agency. That was how he was informed on who had adopted you. He wanted to send you the map when you turned 18. He had trusted me and his right hand man with the information. Little did either of us know that there was leak," Tatiana said this last statement with much disdain.

"A leak," Riley asked speaking up for the first time since Tatiana had arrived.

"Yes, Enrique Sandoval, he was Jose's first mate. He had been planning a mutiny against Jose. Brainwashing the crew into thinking he was planning on sending you the money they had attained and sending you the non-existent map leading to the den on Gasparilla Island," Tatiana revealed angrily.

"Is that what they think the map will lead us to," Betsy asked looking at the map laid out in front of her on the coffee table.

"I don't know what this map leads to, but what I do know is that Jose did not know the whereabouts of Gasparilla's treasure."

"Okay so let me get this straight," Betsy said, "they know where I live, they know where I go to school, they know where my parents live, and they know everything about me and my family?" Tatiana shook her head in the affirmative, "Well, that's just fantastic. How did they find all of this information?"

"My guess would be from the endless information your father had collected from the adoption agency," Tatiana said.

"So the real question is how do we protect Betsy?" Ben spoke from the window he now stood; looking out for any suspicious characters.

"Maybe we can get Agent Sedusky to help us out again," Riley put in.

"I'd really like to keep the police out of this one," Betsy said.

"I agree. Agent Sedusky has put his job on the line one too many times for us. I think we should give him a break," Ben agreed.

"But this time we're not the one's doing something illegal. I think we need to get SWAT team or something to protect this place. We need police help here guys." Abigail said trying to reason with them, "We can't protect Betsy by ourselves, I mean look at what a great job we did of that in Colombia when Ian –"

Abigail stopped abruptly but not before she let the name slip. There was a tense silence as every pair of eyes was staring intently at Betsy for any negative reaction. Ian, and Colombia itself, was still a very touchy subject for Betsy. It was a well known fact Betsy still had nightmares of the events and sometimes would even be yelling Ian's name in her sleep. Betsy closed her eyes and took inhaled long and hard.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…" Abigail trailed off looking helpless at the others in the room.

"Its fine Abby," Betsy answered quietly, "You might be right. I don't know about the SWAT team part but I'm sure the security guards here at the hotel should hold up just fine against these guys. We are just going to have to get a flight out of here tomorrow."

"A flight to where?" Ben asked. Again silence as the people in the room thought this question through. The map caught Betsy's eye. Spanish Florida lay there almost mockingly.

"Florida," Betsy said with finality in her voice. Riley looked to where Betsy was looking and sighed when he saw the map.

"Betsy, your life is in danger and you want to go treasure hunting," Riley asked exasperatedly.

"What can I say? It's the pirate in me," Betsy answered.

"Yeah and you're a Gates. That's a bad combination," Riley replied, the last sentence sounding significantly softer than the first. Betsy ignored him.

"I don't think that's such a good idea," Tatiana said worry in her eyes.

"What's not good about it? C'mon that's the last place they'll think to look," Betsy said.

"Or the first," Ben said seriously. Betsy sighed.

"No it won't be Ben. The first place they'll think to look is your house," Betsy told her brother calmly trying to reason with him, "We have to call mom and dad to tell them to get a room somewhere until this is all over. Your house isn't safe anymore."

There was a long tense silence that hung over the room for a few minutes as its occupants thought long and carefully about what going to Florida really meant or what it could/would cost them. While the others were in their own minds, Betsy looked over at the only link she had left to her parents.

Tatiana had long dark hair; come to think of it she had dark features like hers. But unlike Betsy, Tatiana had darker skin then her for all her spent time in the sun. There were a few features on Tatiana's face that looked familiar to her; her lips for example. Betsy quickly excused herself and went to the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face and clammy neck. She couldn't get over the sense of familiarity she had with Tatiana. Could it be some past thoughts coming back from her first years on the ship?

Betsy took a towel off the holder and blotted her face dry. She observed herself in the mirror touching her self up. She stopped her fussing and looked straight at her familiar lips. Her eyes slowly widened as the realization hit her; Tatiana hadn't known her mother, she _was_ her mother. Betsy crept back into the room and observed Tatiana again this time with more ideas for what she was looking for. That was it. She had to be her mother. The story about her mother dying in child birth had to have been a cover or something to protect her.

"Betsy, are you okay?" Ben asked. He had been watching his sister silently from the window. When she had left nothing seemed to be wrong now she looked, in a word: determined. Which Ben knew was never good.

"Yeah I'm good, I was just going to ask how many tickets I should get for the flight tomorrow," Betsy said looking at the others in the room. Abigail sighed looking over at Ben with a pleading look.

"Betsy—"

"It's fine Ben. If you three don't want to go it's fine. I have Tatiana who knows her way around Florida, right?" Betsy asked looking over at the woman sitting silently.

"Of course, I will accompany you. I will take good care of her Ben," Tatiana said taking a stand beside Betsy.

"There problem solved. I have a guide who has lived and sailed around Florida. I won't get lost," Betsy turned around to go into the study equipped with a computer to begin her search for flights to Florida.

"Elizabeth that's not the point," Ben argued following closely behind his sister.

"Then tell me what is the point Ben," Betsy said continuing her walk to the study. Tatiana sensing this was a private feud remained behind. Abby however followed behind but just not as close to the arguing siblings, Riley closely behind her. She was sure to give the two of them space.

"The point is, you don't have to do this Betsy." With this statement, Ben finally achieved stopping his sister.

"And what makes you say that I don't have to do this Ben?"

"Let's just go home, please."

"Wow, is this really you talking? Benjamin Franklin Gates the great treasure—"

"I really think this is one adventure way too dangerous for any of us. I think we need to sit this one out and let the authorities take over. It's not that big of a deal Betsy. We have found every single treasure, including our family's—"

"You mean your family's treasure," a tense pause followed this question which was said by Betsy more as a statement. "I never went on that adventure Ben and even if I was able to, I wouldn't have felt right going on it. This is my family's treasure Ben. It's my turn to find my history, to find out who I really am and exactly where I came from. This is the only thing that will ever truly belong…to me." Betsy and Ben stared at each other both in comprehension of what the other was going through. It finally became clear to Ben just to what extremities his sister's guilt was putting her through.

"You're right Betsy. You are absolutely right, although I can't let you buy two tickets to Florida—"

"Ben what did I just finish telling you—?"

"If you would let me finish…I can't let you buy two tickets to Florida, you'll have to buy one more for me," Ben said a smile slowly creeping onto Betsy's face. "What kind of older brother would I be to let my sister go off, on her own, to fight pirates?"

Betsy embraced her brother in sheer gratitude and love. In reality Betsy had not wanted to go on her own.

"Better make that two more," Abigail said from the study doorway. "I haven't missed a treasure hunt yet and I'm not about to miss this one. Plus, what kind of sister in law would that make me?" Abby finished with a smile.

The three looked back to the fourth member of the group who looked extremely hesitant on accepting…and extremely uncomfortable.

"Okay make it three more," Riley said. "I haven't missed any Ben adventures yet and I'm not about to start now. Plus, what kind of…um…friend would that make me?"

Betsy offered Riley a small smile which he quickly looked away from and made the excuse that he needed to pack. Ben and Abigail having noticed the exchange Ben followed suit with Riley and Abby stayed with Betsy.

"Now let's get to Florida," Abigail said pulling Betsy to the computer to book the earliest flight.


End file.
